Content Kettle (eCommerce Special)

How far would you go to make the lives of your fur friends comfortable? 

Well, Trevor Crotts took the road less travelled and brought the science used in the human world to the world of our pets to help them live comfortably as they grow. A brand started years ago, with his dog Buddy, the idea of BuddyRest stemmed from a routine visit to the vet, where Trevor was warned that his pet was eventually going to suffer from stiff, painful joints and live a shorter life than the other dogs. He was told that bigger dogs like Buddy lived on average 4 years less than small dogs, frequently due to conditions such as arthritis and joint problems. And the cures available were painful treatments like strong medication, laser and stem cell therapy. 

Having worked in the mattress industry for years, Trevor knew support played a big role in how healthily the bodies of big dogs grew. If it could change the lives of people, it could change the lives of our fur friends! 

In this podcast, we're talking to Trevor, who is the CEO of BuddyRest, about how he started his journey, the challenges he faced in taking a unique solution to the market, the tactics they used to reach their customers and how they have taken a technology-first approach to educate as well as help their target market make informed purchases. 

When it comes to making an impact on the environment, there are very few brands that step up and take the initiative of doing their bit. Especially when you're starting something new. The one brand that has been taking active strides towards doing their bit is Phool.

Phool was born out of the want to reduce temple waste in India. From what started as a conversation by the Ghats of the River Ganges, Phool turned into a venture that worked towards upcycling temple flowers that were otherwise dumped into water bodies, into consumer products. Based out of Kanpur, India, Phool decided to work with the locals to get temple flowers together and turn them into incense sticks and cones. 

In this episode, we're talking to Apurv Misal, the Head of Marketing and Sales of Phool.co on how the brand educates their audience, keeps them engaged, uses organic strategies on social media to grow. Tune in to get some intel into some of the best strategies that lifestyle brands can use to reach their audience. 

According to various studies, 88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations. There are about 82% of consumers say they seek recommendations from friends and family before making a purchase. Come to think of it, the last time you made a purchase from a known or a fairly new brand, you first checked product reviews, ratings, and testimonials. No one wants to go wrong! 

During some of the conversations we had on Content Kettle, the one challenge that came across pretty common was winning the consumer's trust. Especially when you're starting out! 

In this episode, we have a veteran Shopify Partner, Amit Porwal, the CEO of Expert Village Media, stepping in to share his take on the importance of social proof and how as a new brand online, you can gather it. Tune in for some actionables! 

As the world took to online shopping during the pandemic, the one industry that saw a steady increase in its growth, was the pet supplies sector. From what used to be walking into pet stores, we're now buying daily supplies and accessories for our fur friends online. Judith Mori is the founder of Paws Paws Miami, a brand for dogs, cats and piglets that want to step out in style and express their personalities. But Paws Paws Miami was not always an online store. Judith took her brand online during the pandemic and pivoted her model to hit success with her customers all over again! 

In this episode, we're talking to Judith herself about when and how she decided to take her pet supplies brand online, how she restrategized to change her approach to reach her market and match consumer needs, and how the brand sailed through the tough times without getting bumped to a corner. 

PS. This jovial conversation with Judith will have you wanting to take a step back, re-evaluate your business strategy and gear up for success with an approach no one talked about before. 

So whether you're struggling as a pet supplies brand or starting a new one, this episode is for you! 

We turned to online shopping during COVID more than we ever did. Even for the very basics such as day-to-day meals, giving rise to an industry that predominantly remained offline, to go online. Yes, we're talking about restaurants, cafes, bakeries and all the yummy food you can imagine right now. But with the ease of taking your brand online, comes the challenge of capturing consumer attention. Add to that a mix of how sceptical each one of us has now become about consuming "outside" food, and you'll know exactly how difficult eCommerce marketing in the food industry is. 

In this episode, we're talking to David Beaver, the Founder of Root Kitchen, a brand known for its chef-prepared, tasty plant-based frozen meals delivered to your doorstep. Coming from a background of genuine food-lovers, David and his family founded the Root Kitchen to not just make health and sustainable food available to more people, but to also educate them about plant-based diets. Yes, they had to educate their customers about plant-based diets before actually making sales. Hear how they did it! 

For anyone wanting to start their business online in the packaged food industry, you're going to want to hear this! David also shares the little learnings that came in late but are of utmost importance to business growth. 

eCommerce platforms are making it easier for brands to go online. Digital platforms are making it easier to reach your customers. But it's only easier said than done. With the increase in competition for consumer attention, it's getting tougher for brands to get a stronghold in their target market. This especially holds true for brands selling exquisite, handmade products. 

In this episode, we're discussing eCommerce marketing strategies that Swati Dhasmana, the Founder of Miaah, a brand known for its exquisite handmade product collection, used to reach her audience. We're also discussing how she started out the business, her decision to start her brand on Instagram, how she manages to consumer requests and queries around product quality, product pricing and much more. But more importantly, how she has formed a community of customers through marketing that focuses on highlighting the quality and authenticity of the brand's products and not just endless discounts. 

For anyone wanting to start a business in online jewellery, precious jewellery, handmade products and similar categories of eCommerce, I recommend hearing Swati out! 

PS. At the time of recording this podcast, Miaah is an established brand that operates solely on Instagram. Swati made the conscious decision of starting her venture on social to keep her resources optimized as a solopreneur. But they're now moving to their next stage of running an eCommerce business - setting up an online store. 

Taking your brand online has gotten easier. But marketing it and reaching your audience is getting tougher by the day. In this episode, we're discussing eCommerce marketing strategies that Arita Abrol, the Founder of a beauty brand, Siachen and handcrafted artisanal accessories brand, The Six Bravo, used to take her unique products to the market. She shares her experience on running two successful brands in different industries, how she strategises the marketing for the two and ensures all efforts remain aligned to what the brands truly stand for. 

If you're just starting out your brand online, have a niche that no one has tapped into before or don't know where to begin when it comes to eCommerce marketing, this episode is for you. Don't forget to take notes from someone who has been there, done that and nailed it! 

After working with eCommerce solutions across the globe and getting a chance to speak with brands big and small, here's what we learned - There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to marketing. With the ease of setting up your business online, it's only getting tougher to capture consumer attention and become a brand that turns into a household name. The competition is massive. 

You could search for articles on marketing strategies on the internet. They're going to list down those standard tactics every time. But what if there was someone who could tell you what they did to market their brand and get it to where they are today? 

With Content Kettle (eCommerce Special), our goal is to get you actionable insights on marketing and branding from brand owners and marketers who had to roll up their sleeves and go beyond the internet articles to build a loyal customer base. Of course, in simpler words, here are all the answers you need on 'how to get your first 100 sales', 'how to get your first 100 repeat sales'....you get the drift!